


Together, We Saw The Same Place

by meanderingmirth



Series: Magical Creatures AU [2]
Category: VIXX
Genre: M/M, Magical Creatures AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-16
Updated: 2015-06-16
Packaged: 2018-04-04 15:12:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4142439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meanderingmirth/pseuds/meanderingmirth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wonshik’s lived his whole life by the sea, but he’s still worlds away from those who thrive in the waters. Fortunately, he and Hongbin make things work.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Together, We Saw The Same Place

**Author's Note:**

> A side story about merman!Hongbin and lighthouse keeper Wonshik from [The Houdini Problem](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3985240/). I found myself thinking too much about the magical creatures in that story, hence, this. Prior reading would give context to this fic ( ﾟ∀ ﾟ)
> 
> enjoy!

Hongbin never sings in Wonshik’s presence.

It’s quite a shame, really, because Wonshik knows that Hongbin has a very unique voice, low and throaty, and it rumbles like the waves that crash against the shore on a restless night. There’s something inherently calming about Hongbin’s singing, and it draws Wonshik into it, effortlessly, like falling asleep after a long day of work.

Hongbin says that’s the problem.

“My voice is  _supposed_  to lure humans in,” he says crossly from where he’s peeking up over the edge of Wonshik’s rowboat. “That’s the whole purpose of a merfolk voice.”

“Well, I’ll trust that you won’t lure me to my watery death anytime soon,” Wonshik hums, adjusting his hat as he watches his fishing rod bob on the side of the boat. Hongbin scowls at him, his tail moving fluidly through the water to help keep him propped up.

“You don’t actually find my voice attractive,” the merman mutters. “It’s the magic. All humans are conditioned to find it enthralling. It’s not really  _you_  who think’s it’s nice to listen to.”

“Doesn’t negate the fact that you still make my favourite songs sound amazing when you sing it,” Wonshik smiles, resting his chin on his palm as he winks at Hongbin, who pretends to roll his eyes in annoyance. “C’mon, just a little bit?”

“No, Wonshik. I won’t sing today.”

“Aw,” Wonshik pouts, sticking his bottom lip out in a poor imitation of Jaewhan’s sad face, and Hongbin splashes him.

“You’re not five. Pull yourself together,” Hongbin teases him, and lowers himself back into the water.

“You’re going now?” Wonshik asks, watching Hongbin swim around to the other side of the rowboat.

“Yup,” the merman says, bobbing through the water. “I scare the fish if I hover, and then you won’t have anything for dinner.”

“How considerate of you to think of my well-being,” Wonshik beams, and Hongbin snorts, making bubbles form under his nose.

“It’s only because I know you’ll eat just about anything if you’re hungry enough, even some really inedible creations, and I’m not keen on calling poison control for you.”

“Considerate,” Wonshik says happily, and Hongbin sighs, muttering something that sounds like  _hopeless idiot_  under his breath before pushing himself out of the water one last time, letting Wonshik lean in quickly to peck his cheek. “See you in the evening,” Hongbin calls, and Wonshik sits back, waving as he watches Hongbin duck under the water, previously flattened gills appearing in thick, red lines on the sides of his chest before fanning out, fluttering softly in the waves. With two powerful flips of his tail, the merman was vanishing into the depths, glittering scales fading away from sight as he descended into the sea.

Shifting into a more comfortable position on his seat, Wonshik reeled his line in once more and cast it further out. His bait fell into the ocean with a little  _splish_  and he kicked back, humming to himself as he felt the sun’s hot rays on his back and smelled the sharp scent of the sea on soft the breeze that slipped by him.

“ _Yeah I need need need memories...”_

_+_

He catches two large, tasty fish for the night, which is enough for his next two meals, so Wonshik happily retreats back to the lighthouse in the late afternoon, eager to get started on dinner. He scales, guts, and cleans the fish in the little shed behind the main structure of the lighthouse and putters around making dinner until it’s nearing the time Hongbin usually comes back up to the shore.

Wonshik sets the table before he runs out to the storage room by the lighthouse, where he stores a strange sort of creation he’s made himself. It’s a metal trolley, the kind that people use to deliver large packages on, with a glass tank mounted onto it. The tank is big enough to hold an adult, and in their case, a fully-grown merman as well.

Wonshik tossed a pail into the tank and pushed it out of the shed, whistling to himself as he made his way down the winding path to the flat rocks below the cliff. Hongbin is waiting for him already, an assortment of shellfish in a ragged net next to him, and he makes a face at Wonshik when he arrives.

“Took you long enough,” he chides, no real bite behind his words. Wonshik makes a placating noise as he bends down to gather Hongbin in his arms, carefully depositing the merman into the tank.

“I was making dinner,” he says as he drops the pail into the ocean, collecting bucketfuls of water to pour into the tank. Hongbin sighs and reclines, tucking his hands behind his head.

“Yes, keep on showering me with the essence of the sea,” he says bossily, and Wonshik dumps the next bucket onto the merman’s head. Hongbin gives him an incredibly dull look and splashes Wonshik back with his tail, making him splutter.

“This is my good shirt,” he complains, and Hongbin smirks, wiggling comfortably in the tank.

“So sorry,” he says sweetly, and Wonshik pulls at the merman’s cheeks before kissing his nose in apology. Hongbin lets him, and just as Wonshik pulls away he tilts his head up and bumps their mouths together, albeit clumsily, and it makes Wonshik blush.

“Let’s go eat,” Hongbin smiles, dimples dipping onto the sides of his face. He looks happy enough, but once they settle in Wonshiks kitchen for food, the merman goes thoughtfully quiet.

“Something on your mind?” Wonshik asks, watching Hongbin poke at the portion of raw fish Wonshik usually sets aside for him.

“Hm,” Hongbin hums, scrunching his nose adorably as he considers his next words. “It’s nothing big, I think. Just something I’ve heard from nearby merfolk clans.”

“Oh? Is something wrong?”

Hongbin pauses, pushing a piece of fish past his lips, and his fangs slide out as he chews through the thick meat effortlessly. “There’s been talk about some troublemaking rogues going around singing again. They’ve been chased out of a distract down south, both by humans and merpeople, but it seems like they’ve been spotted swimming in our territory.”

Wonshik frowns. Merpeople were, by nature, pack beings and naturally drifted towards clans for survival and safety, but lonesome merfolk were not a rarity either. Little ragtag groups occasionally band together from some time, usually outsiders that had left larger clans, and while not all were bad, there were some who acted rashly and crudely when they were not held accountable for their actions by a larger, self-governing clan.

“I don’t think they’ll try anything here,” Hongbin muses, pulling a long, clear fishbone out of his mouth. “My clan is one of the largest ones in the area and we’re banded with several other ones on the other side of the city. We’re even interacting with the whale pods deeper in the sea. But, you know, just in case, look out when you’re boating.”

“Yessir,” Wonshik shouts, giving Hongbin an exaggerated salute, and the merman rolls his eyes.

“I’m being serious. Be careful.”

“Don’t worry, I know,” Wonshik says. “I’ll take care of myself.”

Hongbin huffs, but he lets the topic drop with Wonshik’s promise. They finish eating and Wonshik wheels Hongbin back to the sea, bidding him goodnight. After Hongbin leaves, he washes up the dishes, cleaning out the tank, going for a stroll down to the stalls by the harbourside market to look for some last minute deals. Nothing good catches Wonshik’s interest for the night, so he heads home and does one last maintenance check up on the lighthouse before retiring. Everything is a part of the usual routine.

However, the teenagers he sees goofing off by the rocks just off the docks are not.

Wonshik groans to himself, knowing coast patrol wouldn’t be coming around for another hour, so it’s up to him to chase stragglers off the shore when night starts to fall. Wonshik doesn’t fancy heading out even though there’s still a bit of sun peeking up over the horizon, painting the sky a deep blood red, but he still ducks back inside to grab his jacket before going down to his rowboat.

He’s grumbling the whole way, straining slightly to push the boat through the water. The faster he tells those kids to buzz off the faster he could head back inside, assuming they don’t try to sass him back. This is why Wonshik doesn’t like dealing with any child over the age of five.

He’s so irked by the rule breakers that he almost misses the glimmer of scales pass by the side of his boat.

Wonshik turns, surprised that Hongbin would still be out at this hour, and he was about to call out when something else catches his eye.

Another tail, surfacing just enough to cause a ripple at the top of the water, and then he sees a full body swimming just below the second merperson, headed towards the rocks. Something seizes at his heart. It wasn’t Hongbin, and it didn’t look like Hongbin’s clan either.

His mind swerves to the rogues, and Wonshik immediately doubles his efforts with rowing, pushing the boat faster through the water. He prays it’s not what he thinks it is, and he’d rather embarrass himself overreacting than have to pull bodies out of the water. But if it wasn’t just a few passing merpeople, and those kids were in danger...

Better safe than sorry, Wonshik groans to himself as he pulls up closer to the teenagers. 

“Hey!” he bellows. “Hey, you kids!”

It’s a group of five youngsters, looking like they’re high school freshmen, and they don’t react at all to Wonshik’s hollering. Typical.

“Get away from the rocks!” he shouts towards the teens. They’re still looking at him, but they weren’t moving. Two of them whisper to each other and another snickers, and Wonshik felt a ball of frustration lodge in his throat. Kids these days.

“Go!” he yells again. “It’s dangerous! You have to leave!” He waves his arms for good measure, and the teens are finally starting to back away, tripping slightly over the uneven ground as they speed up. They seemed either weirded out by him or finally catching on to his words, but then he hears the faintest splash behind him, felt something bump against his rowboat, and Wonshik freezes.

It’s not him the teens are running from. It’s what they finally saw in the water that scared them off, and it doesn’t take a genius to know what’s surrounding Wonshik’s boat by now.

He dives for the pouch strapped onto the underside of the seat, waterproof and filled with emergency supplies. He shoved aside the unnecessary items, fingers seeking desperately for what he needed the most: earplugs.

Living by the sea is not without its dangers, and while Wonshik can read the skies and smell the storms brewing, re-direct large merchant ships away from rocky alcoves in the sea, he is powerless against the merpeople’s songs. By the laws formed with the governing merfolk chieftains and the humans, merpeople cannot openly sing to humans with malicious intent, but there were always lawbreakers. Wonshik’s not really keen on taking any chances out in the open.

His fingers shake while he jams an earplug into each ear just as he hears the first whispers of the bone-chilling notes drift across the water, growing louder by the second. It makes goosebumps break out over his skin, but Wonshik knows that if he listens for too long, or if they get close enough, he won’t know fear anymore. In fact, he’ll feel nothing but what  _they_  wanted him to.

Something banged into the side of the boat, sending him tumbling onto his side, and in that moment, the jolt knocked the earplug out of his right ear.

Music flooded his mind instantly.

Wonshik stumbles, trying to regain his footing in the rowboat, but there was something reverberating through his mind, creeping down his bones and coming to clench around his heartstrings. His panicked, racing heartbeat began to slow to a peaceful, calm beat, the kind Wonshik usually felt just as he was about to fall asleep.

He fell to his knees and clutched the seat on his rowboat, slumping slightly against it. His muscles felt languid and his mind was processing things as though in a dream. The hazy glow of the setting sun blanketed him with a soothing warmth, and the wild panic that had set in a moment ago seemed eons away. What had he been so worried about again?

Wonshik heard a splash somewhere in the distance, and he turned his head, but he couldn’t see anybody. He sighed and looked away again. He could feel something humming in his bones, caressing the tense muscles in his shoulders and arms, prompting him to relax. He did as such, mindlessly searching for the music that continued to wash over him, making his eyelids droop and his body limp.

There was a sound on his left, and then something appeared on the edge of the rowboat.

Fingers.

One by one, the digits rose until each of them curled over the side of Wonshik’s boat, tantalizingly slow, and then the little boat rocked slightly onto its side as a merman appeared on the side.

Wonshik blinked.

The merman was unfamiliar to him; he had inky black hair that seemed to glow blue if he tilted his head a certain way, but his eyes were a brilliant green. His face was pale and strangely narrow, but he smiled at Wonshik, showing two rows of jagged, razor sharp fangs, and Wonshik smiled back, no real sense of danger managing to stop him as the merman reached out to cup his cheek.

 _Come_.

The pull in his bones was great. He wondered if he was still listening to the music, and if that was what he really wanted. As he slowly leaned over the edge of the rowboat, Wonshik spotted two other merpeople bobbing in the water, one with long, light coloured hair, and the other with dark hair like the one holding Wonshik’s face. Their mouths were moving, singing to him, and though Wonshik couldn’t decipher a word, he could feel the sounds inside of his mind.

 _Come with us_.

He continued to lean over, drawn in by the sound, the colour of the water, the desire to just slip right in to the depths of the sea and let the merpeople take him wherever they wanted.

Suddenly, there was a horrible screeching noise in the distance, high and fearsome, and Wonshik jolted at the harshness of the sound, muscles tensing up again as he stared down at the merpeople, what was happening, what was he  _doing—_

The merman bared his teeth and suddenly propelled himself up, grabbed Wonshik around the neck with both hands, and then yanked him right over the edge of the boat.

The sudden hit of cold water was like a violent slap to the face.

Terror fills him as he struggled in the merman’s hold, kicking and thrashing under the water. The image of the narrow-faced merman holding into his neck swam about in his vision, and even though the light was fading and Wonshik’s eyes burned from the saltwater, he could see the eeriness of the creature’s complexion and the haunting facial expression that had undoubtably doomed many others before him. Two more pairs of hands grab hold of his ankles, and Wonshik panics, momentarily forgetting that there were two other merpeople. They’re dragging him down, deeper into the darkness, and the oxygen bursting out of Wonshik’s mouth surrounds him in a mess of bubbles, shooting up towards the surface as he descends, fighting the whole way.

His fingers touch something soft and fleshy in the dark, and he instantly rakes his nails down it, tearing angrily. Somewhere, despite the muffled effect of being underwater, he thinks he hears something shriek. Then, there’s an intense pain in his abdomen as something strikes him in the solar plexus, literally knocking the breath out of him. Wonshik chokes, the last of the air in his lungs finally leaving him as he goes limp.

He was going to drown.

The water moved around them, something like a strong current, and quite suddenly, one of the hands around his ankles is torn off him. Wonshik jerks, and something swims by again, fast and determined, and the other hand on his leg is ripped away as well. The merman holding his neck hisses and releases Wonshik, face twisted, and then a familiar, light-haired blur is barrelling into the offending merman’s side, punching into his gills. The merman screams, writhing away in the water, and then arms are wrapping around Wonshik’s waist, a chest pressing against his, and water is rushing around him before he’s suddenly above the water, cold night air stinging his face.

Wonshik flops uselessly to the side, mind hazy with confusion and lungs waterlogged, and he thinks he passes out. The next thing he knows, he’s lying on his side on a flat expanse of rock by the lighthouse with Hongbin shaking him.

“Wonshik,” Hongbin says, his voice trembling but his tone urgent, hands cradling Wonshik’s face. “Wonshik, can you hear me? Wonshik, Wonshik, please open your eyes, please, please don’t be dead, please,  _please—_ ”

He groans, the shaking making him nauseous, but all he tastes is the nasty saltiness of seawater in his mouth before he’s hacking it up, feeling the water burn his nose and throat as he tries to open his eyes properly.

“Wonshik,” Hongbin gasps, and then he’s helping Wonshik maneuver himself upright, rubbing his back and pushing his sopping wet hair out of his face.

“What’s going on,” he coughs, hanging onto Hongbin’s arm for balance. He feels Hongbin massage the sides of his neck and large, wide eyes watching him with worry.

“Are you okay? Can you breathe?” Hongbin asks, and Wonshik nods, slumping tiredly forwards.

“I’m alright,” he sighs. “You— you saved me.”

Hongbin’s expression hardens, and there’s the slightest hint of fangs as he looks out towards the sea. “By the time I heard your voice by the rocks, I could already see them swimming towards your boat. I couldn’t reach you in time. When I saw you go under, I thought— I thought I was too late.”

“No, you weren’t,” Wonshik interrupts, managing a weak smile as he takes Hongbin’s hands in his. “You got to me, don’t worry.”

Hongbin opens his mouth, face drawn, like he’s about to argue again, but Wonshik beats him to it. He leans forwards, pressing a his lips against Hongbin’s, kissing him gently. He hopes all the things he can’t say right now manages to come across the gesture. “Thanks for rescuing me,” Wonshik whispers when he sits back, squeezing Hongbin’s hands in his own. “I’m sorry I wasn’t careful enough.”

The merman sighs and drops his head forwards, pressing his forehead against Wonshik’s.

“It’s not your fault,” Hongbin murmurs. “Just— don’t ever scare me like that again,” he adds, grumbling, and Wonshik laughs despite the dropping temperatures and the exhaustion seeping through his body.

“I won’t,” he promises.

+

The next morning, Taekwoon and Jaehwan show up to do their job once Wonshik called them the night before and reported the merpeople attack. The two parole officers arrived early, and Wonshik was still rubbing sleep from his eyes when he answered the door. The check up at the doctor’s office the night before had run late, mainly because the doctor was just about to leave as Wonshik arrived. He was rather lucky he’d saved the doc’s daughter from a boating accident once before and stayed in the man’s good graces. A check up deemed no outstanding problems, though Wonshik had been advised to find somebody to wake him every hour or so to make sure he didn’t have any internal injuries that might affect him in his sleep.

Hence, Hongbin was also still asleep in the glass tank next to the couch downstairs, slumped uncomfortably in lukewarm water against cold glass. His arm had been dangling out of the side of the tank, fingers inches from where Wonshik’s were after their grip on each other’s hands loosened when they fell asleep last night.

“Morning!” Jaehwan says cheerfully while Taekwoon just blinks in greeting. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired,” Wonshik mutters.

“I suppose a near-drowning incident might have that effect on someone,” Jaehwan nods, his tone wise, and Taekwoon gives him an exasperated look that Jaehwan pretends to cower from. “I’m glad you’re not badly hurt though,” the officer adds, sincere, and he claps Wonshik on the shoulder. “We’ll take over from here.”

“Glad to know we have such upstanding officers protecting our city,” Wonshik chuckles. Jaehwan puffs his chest out proudly and Taekwoon barely stifles a yawn behind his palm, bags under his eyes as he leans against the door. Wonshik offers to grab them coffee, but the taller man waves him off.

“We’ll come back later,” Taekwoon says in his usual soft voice. “We’re going to talk to some of the merfolk chieftains by the dock in a bit, but we just wanted to come by and make sure you were okay.”

“Ah,” Wonshik says, ducking his head. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

“Will you make us lunch when we get back then?” Jaehwan asks, brightening up, and Taekwoon rolls his eyes, grabbing Jaehwan by the collar as he dragged the other man away from Wonshik’s doorstep.

“I’ll make something good for dinner if you come by again!” Wonshik calls, and Jaehwan gives him a thumbs up as the two retreat down the stone path away from the lighthouse. Wonshik watches them for a moment before closing his door, rubbing a hand over his face. When he walks back into the living room, ready to drop back onto the sofa, Hongbin is awake and sitting up in the tank, drumming his fingers idly against the rim. The sight makes Wonshik’s heart flutter.

“Hey,” he says, bending down for a kiss, and Hongbin’s wet hands come up to cup his face, leaving droplets clinging to his cheeks.

“Hello,” Hongbin smiles. “How are you feeling?”

“Much better already.”

“Mm,” the merman hums, arms coming up to wrap around Wonshik’s waist. He pushes himself up, making water slosh, and presses his ear against the left side of Wonshik’s chest, listening. Wonshik stands still, running his fingers through Hongbin’s damp hair until the other moves away.

“What’s the verdict?” he jokes.

“A good heartbeat,” Hongin replies. “Once you start whining about sunburns again I’ll know you’re fine.”

“I don’t whine,” Wonshik grumbles, pinching Hongbin’s nose, and the merman snaps playfully at his hand. “Do you want to eat breakfast by the shore?”

“Sure,” Hongbin grins, sticking his tail out of the tank. “My joints are so cramped.” Water drips down onto the carpet and Wonshik scowls, pushing Hongbin’s tail back into the water with false annoyance.

He makes a simple breakfast and packs it into his bag before pushing the trolley and Hongbin down the winding path to the sea. They settle by their usual spot below the lighthouse’s cliff; Wonshik dangling his bare feet into the water while Hongbin slides his tail back into the sea. It’s a beautiful morning— a little overcast with low, rolling clouds, but the air is fresh and the breeze is soothing. The sea itself is calm as well, and it makes Wonshik languid as he munches on a piece of toast. Fingers graze his chin as Hongbin brushes crumbs from his face, making a series of faint clicking noises (sounds Wonshik has come to understand is a form of fond exasperation in merfolk language). He smiles at the merman, adoring the way Hongbin’s eyes shine in the light and the way his hair flutters in the wind. Everything about him makes Wonshik’s heart clench, sigh, and yearn for at the same time.

While the merfolk’s voice is indeed enthralling and hypnotically irresistible to humans, Wonshik knows his love for Hongbin is completely and utterly unaffected by any type of enchantment whatsoever, except for the kind of genuine, honest affection exchanged between two souls that care for one another.

And he knows that feeling, in itself, is a different and special kind of magic on its own.

**Author's Note:**

> I keep aiming for stories that are abut 1k... and then... I end up with 4k stories... I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing LOL
> 
> there's also a lot to explore in this AU, and I'm usually quite fond of writing stories about magical creatures, so perhaps we'll see more stories from this verse in the future too ( •⌄• ू )✧
> 
> thank you for reading!


End file.
